


4:16am

by Scylaire



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, First Kiss, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Frottage, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Light Smut, M/M, Post-Canon, So many emotions, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-25
Updated: 2017-09-25
Packaged: 2019-01-05 11:08:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12188829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scylaire/pseuds/Scylaire
Summary: “I honestly don’t know how I managed to get here. It’s unheard of, as far as I know. Maybe they thought that I deserve a small happy ending after all, you know? It’s not a lot of time but it’s the most I could do for us.”_________________A year after Noctis' death, fate decides to give them a second chance.





	4:16am

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!  
> This fic is inspired by the song 'Too Much Is Never Enough' by Florence+The Machine which I'm sure most of you know by now (and if you don't you should really listen to it!)  
> Anyways, I hope it isn't too confusing. English isn't my first language so you'll probably find some mistakes in this.
> 
> Enjoy :)

_Oh, who decides from where up high?_

_I couldn’t say “I need more time”_

 

 

4:16am.

 

Prompto squinted his eyes against the bright light of his phone and quickly closed them again. Specks of light still remained in his vision, tainting the otherwise dark room with an unusual brightness. At least for this time of the night.

 

The memories of those ten years of darkness appeared to be haunting him again. It seemed never-ending, like the worst nightmare he’d ever experienced and sometimes he felt as if it was swallowing him up whole, never letting go of him no matter what he did.

 

He felt stuck in a limbo between life and death and with each day the lines seemed to blur more. After the first few months he lost track of time and most days he could hardly remember how much time had passed. Everything, even waking up, felt unfamiliar.

Maybe he imagined it, but sometimes it felt like some days were darker than others. Sometimes small rays of something brighter seemed to ripple through the endless night like waves. But they never stayed and some days it felt as if even breathing was a challenge and every breath just brought him closer to that blurred line.

 

As time went on, the days just seemed to grow darker within the minute and every small ray of light he tried to cling onto disappeared so fast it left him with nothing but the feeling that it had never been more than his imagination.

 

Slowly, he set his phone down onto his nightstand again. Stars were shining through his window, even through the cracks of his blinds he could see them. So bright.

 

He knew that they were supposed to make him feel more at ease because if there were stars then there was also a sun somewhere despite the fact that he could not see it right now. Night was followed by day again and he knew that the sun would rise in a few hours. The fear of eternal darkness was now replaced by the certainty of sunrise each morning but somehow the light felt artificial.

Instead of bringing him peace, they just made the darkness inside of him seem more menacing with each star he counted. Sometimes, he saw the moon through his window and it lit up the whole room, reflecting on every surface.

 

Those were the darkest nights for him.

 

Lately, he’d been waking up a lot around this time. It almost seemed like the world was mocking him, wanting to make sure he got to see every sunrise, not missing a single one.

He felt so incredibly ungrateful because secretly he knew that he should appreciate each day filled with light he had so much more than he did right now. Someone had paid the price to restore light and bring peace back upon the world he lived in.

 

Right, someone.

 

His thoughts had carried him back to that place he desperately wanted to avoid again. He dreaded it more than he ever did any dungeon he went into or any monster or daemon he fought.

 

The thought of his best friend seemed to follow him wherever he went and everything reminded Prompto of him. It didn’t matter how fast his mind ran, those thoughts always caught up with him so easily it was scary.

 

He tried to continue taking pictures because he knew that Noctis would want him to. Now that the daylight was back, the opportunity to continue his hobby seemed so obvious after all and normally he would’ve been ecstatic about being able to take it up again.

He really tried but after a while he just couldn’t handle all the emotions connected to his camera anymore.

Such a stupid little thing as his camera could bring back so many memories he tried to forget about.

 

As if he could forget.

 

Whenever he held it in his hands he was taken back to a time when he would always show his pictures to Noctis, even if he suspected that he probably annoyed him with them sometimes. Especially if he took a picture of him making a silly face or caught him in some awkward position just to tease him about it later, threatening to show it to their other friends.

The memories also contained all the times he dragged his best friend along with him just to go on some more or less well thought out excursion with the purpose of taking pictures. He was always really happy after getting to spend some time together with his friend and seeing him smile, which had become quite the rare thing given the circumstances they were in at that time.

 

There were also other times when they sat at camp in front of the fire together, keeping each other close for warmth while scrolling through the pictures Prompto had taken that day. It was a good way to relive it and to laugh about good moments again.

 

Sometimes, there were also less enjoyable things they were reminded of. A hunt gone wrong, another close call captivated in form of a blurred picture taken by trembling hands. Whenever they came across pictures like that Noctis would just tell him to delete it, to forget about it and focus on the good ones again and Prompto would move a little bit closer to him, stealing away more of his warmth. It wasn’t always as easy as just hitting the delete button though and his best friend knew this too.

 

On really bad days, Noctis would still hold his hands to stop them from shaking whilst they were falling asleep in the tent, squeezed together closely.

He always seemed so incredibly calm during those nights, like a rock unmoved by the waves crashing against it. Just standing there, not asking unnecessary questions, quietly offering support and doing so much more by simple actions than anyone could ever have done with the help of words alone.

 

They never really talked about those moments. Maybe they should have while they still had the time but how could they have known that every minute together quickly became a rarity. Maybe’s and what if’s had always been dangerous for him and he’d rather not go down a road that could make everything even more difficult.

 

Noctis probably would have told him not to dwell on the past and to look forward instead but it was so unbelievably hard to try and appreciate the light every day whilst the darkness inside of him seemed to get bigger no matter what he did.

 

He realized that he’d gone down the road of his thoughts too far again. He threw the thin blanked he had wrapped around him off and sat up, rubbing his eyes with clenched fists.

The stars outside were slowly fading and the black of the night sky turned into purple.

 

Outside, he could now see the streets of Lestallum. Normally he would be in Insomnia right now, helping with rebuilding the city and cleaning up the mess ten years of darkness and daemons had caused.

It had almost been a whole year since daylight came back and the reconstruction team really gave it their all. Some parts of the city almost looked like they once had and people began moving there again since they even got electricity to work again, at least in some parts of the city. Some refugees from Lestallum were also slowly moving back again, making the small town a little less crowded. Larger families tended to stay behind though, which was understandable since there still wasn’t exactly a lot of living space in Insomnia yet and most of it was occupied by workers.

 

The reason for him being here and not in Insomnia right now was Ignis, who had practically forced him to take a break and join him for a few days in Lestallum where he lived now. Prompto suspected Gladio to be a part of the reason too because he was also working on rebuilding Insomnia and had seen Prompto every day, working almost until the point of fainting from all the pressure he put on himself. He knew that Gladio was worried about him and most likely told Ignis about it, who then proceeded to convince Prompto to visit him in Lestallum.

They only meant well but he felt as if this wasn’t really helping him at all. At least he got to spend some time with Ignis again, which had been long overdue if he was being honest.

 

He truly didn’t want to travel all the way back because him being in Insomnia and actually doing something seemed like the right thing to do.

Sitting around whilst others were rebuilding the very city which held so many memories for him was driving him insane even though he was forced to admit that maybe Ignis had a point when he said that Prompto was in desperate need of a break and it would do more harm than good if he continued working like that.

 

The main reason for all his work in Insomnia was that he felt really close to his best friend whenever he was there.

 

Random street corners or subway stations reminded him of all the times they spent together while they were still going to school. Once he had passed by the spot where their favorite arcade had been and his lungs suddenly felt as if they were completely empty and about to burst at the same time, no matter how much he focused on breathing. So many smiles, so much laughter and jokes that were now nothing but a faint memory in his mind and his mind only since their visits there were only shared between the two of them.

 

He was scared to forget. Maybe that was why he was holding onto all his memories the same way a drowning man would cling to a rock in the midst of a stormy sea.

 

A few days after The Arcade Breakdown he came across the area where Noctis’ apartment complex once stood, now nothing but a huge pile of debris and small shards of glass which were reflecting under the moonlight like snow on a sunny day.

 

He knew it probably would’ve been better to avoid it altogether but that was easier said than done since it was pretty close to the citadel, which was the place they actually began reconstructing from. Eventually he had to work in that area too and he was sure that it had been one of the hardest things he’d ever done.

Even Gladio offered to take over for him because he saw him suffer quietly. He had never directly confronted him about it which was for the better because Prompto tended to close himself off entirely if someone mentioned his best friend to him nowadays. Gladio and Ignis had learned this quickly and now refrained from mentioning Noctis as much as possible.

 

He had been a common guest at his best friends apartment and after some time Ignis didn’t even ask if he was coming over for dinner anymore since he already knew that he would find the prince and his friend on the couch almost every evening, busy playing video games instead of doing their homework.

Prompto guessed that Ignis had probably just been grateful for the fact that someone finally ate the vegetables he made without moaning about it and let them have their frequent video game nights. Under the condition that they would study and do their homework too, of course.

 

After a few weeks, Prompto staying over had become a common occurrence since it always took them quite some time to complete their homework, especially in their last year of high school when their final exams were approaching. At first it had just been out of convenience because Noctis didn’t want Prompto to walk home alone late at night but after a while they had gotten used to their arrangement even when they didn’t have a lot to study for.

Once they ended up sharing the bed. It had been kind of weird at first because both of them were scared to move too close to the other one or accidentally touching, which surely would’ve caused some awkward mumbling on Prompto’s part.

During the night however, that fear of getting too close seemed to have changed entirely and Prompto remembered how he woke up and felt his best friend’s arm loosely wrapped around his waist and his face incredibly close to his own.

Noctis’ breath hit his forehead softly and he could have easily buried his face into his neck if he wanted to.

 

He should have. _What if._

 

That was the exact moment where he realized that all these feelings he harbored were maybe more than simple friendship. The foreign feeling in his stomach almost made him nauseous but somehow it also felt like everything he’d been waiting for his entire life. This small moment was carved into him forever, making his heart beat faster with just the memory of it.

 

For the first time, he wondered if this was love he felt.

 

* * *

 

Quietly, Prompto closed the door of his apartment behind him to avoid the loud creaking noise it would otherwise make.

He shared his complex with a lot of other people, most of which only occupied a small room like he did. He considered himself lucky, a lot of refugees only had tents since there were so many of them and Lestallum wasn’t exactly huge. But they still managed because everyone was really helpful and during the times of darkness their community had grown closely together.

 

He slowly made his way down the stairs to get to the lookout. The sun was slowly rising now and the dark purple he had seen from his bedroom window was turning into different hues of orange and pink. Every other person would’ve considered this a miracle and a gift but for him each sunrise only made the darkness inside of him even bigger, even more threatening. It reminded him of what he’d lost almost eleven years ago and then lost again just barely a year ago. Each time he felt the sun burn on his skin it felt like fresh wounds opened back up, burning like fire from inside his very core.

 

It was kind of chilly this early in the morning and he regretted only wearing a tanktop. He really should’ve brought a jacket because it would still be about half an hour before the sun would have risen and until then he would be freezing.

 

Just as he was about to turn around, he heard something so familiar it felt like his mind was playing tricks on him. Barking.

 

His body seemed to have fallen into a trance and he followed it automatically, walking down the steps at a much faster pace now. By now he’d reached the outlook where the barking seemed to come from and sure enough he saw a dog sitting there but it wasn’t just any dog.

 

“Umbra? What are you doing here?” He asked, completely perplexed. His voice was shaking and he was sure that his hands were trembling. Carefully, he crouched down and petted Umbra’s head, which seemed to calm down his trembling hands. Only one person had been able to calm him down this fast before and he was sure that this wasn’t some kind of coincidence.

 

Suddenly, his whole body was shook by tremors and he couldn’t stop the tears welling up in his eyes. The sight of Umbra was just too much to bear and he had too many questions and doubts in his head. What did this mean? Was Noctis still alive somewhere, somehow? Was this his final goodbye? Or was it really just his mind playing another one of its sick tricks on him again?

 

His tears hit the ground just next to Umbra’s paws.

 

Umbra barked at him again, quieter this time but it felt as if he was trying to tell him something. The dog nudged his chin softly, prompting him to raise his head. He seemed to stare right into Prompto’s soul, past his eyes as soon as he looked up at Umbra again.

 

He didn’t know how much time had passed, it could’ve been minutes and it could’ve been years. Time seemed like something completely out of his grasp as the whole world seemed to blur into white spots and ringing sounded in his ears. Prompto tried to reach out to Umbra but his hands didn’t find anything where something once was anymore. The only thing was this brightness, brighter than he remembered the sun being.

 

The last thing he remembered was the brightness slowly fading out, leaving darkness behind once more.

 

* * *

 

 

“Prompto? Hey, you okay?”

 

He heard a familiar voice speaking next to him but it sounded like it was far away, almost like his ears were covered by something.

 

“You know, usually you’re the one waking me up from my naps. When did this happen?” The voice said again, followed by light chuckling.

 

Prompto knew exactly who it was. This couldn’t be real. He must be hallucinating, maybe he was still asleep and the whole meeting with Umbra had all just been an illusion. Maybe another one of his nightmares. _It’s not real, it’s not real, it’s not…_

 

“Come on, I know you’re awake. You’re starting to worry me!” The same voice spoke again but this time the tone was growing slightly concerned.

 

Slowly he opened his eyes and could make out a familiar sight. Right above him was the top of the tent he had spent so many nights in whilst he had been on the road trip with his friends. The color of it was something he recognized immediately even though his eyesight wasn’t fully clear yet. Some of the white fog still seemed to linger.

 

Out of the corner of his eye he could make out some slight movement now, it looked like there was someone sitting next to him. The fog had faded by now and the sight before him made his chest ache. Right there next to him sat his best friend, the person he never thought he’d see ever again, the person he had shed so many tears and thoughts over the course of the last eleven years.

 

“Noct? What… what are you doing here?” His voice was cracking, still sounding like he had just stopped crying.

 

“Currently waking you up, as it seems.” His best friend said, those blue eyes looking right into his own.

 

“I’m serious… I just remember Umbra, that’s all. What happened?” He asked, still not really being able to sort out his thoughts.

 

“It’s a long story. The gods brought us here, with some of Umbra’s help of course. They told me that I’d get one more day.” Noctis said, the expression on his face unreadable.

 

“What do you mean one more day? Why? Why me?”

 

“I honestly don’t know how I managed to get here. It’s unheard of, as far as I know. Maybe they thought that after all I deserved a small happy ending, you know? It’s not a lot of time but it’s the most I could do for us.” His friend said with a small smile on his face, laced with sadness.

 

Prompto remained silent for a moment. He had stopped to wish for a happy ending a long time ago since he knew that it wasn’t destined for him, for them. It all seemed so bizarre and unreal.

Why would the gods give them one more day? Why not just let everything be the way it was supposed to be?

 

Instead of answering, he reached out to grasp Noctis’ arm. He instantly felt warm where his hand touched him.

 

“I… You’re real. You came back.”

 

“I did, I guess. But we only have the time offered to us, Prom. Let’s make the most out of it, alright?”

 

* * *

 

 

The sun was just starting to rise as they exited the tent.

 

The first thing he saw was their old camp. Everything was exactly the same, from the way the tent was set up to the chairs that surrounded the fire, which was still quietly crackling.

 

Beneath them, Prompto could see the lake of Alstor Slough, surrounded by tall trees. There was also the all too familiar noise of garulas and other animals around them.

 

It instantly took him back to the time where they made camp in this exact spot while they were travelling. This had always been one of his and Noctis’ favorite places to camp because of the perfect lighting and numerous opportunities for good photographs and the perfect fishing spots scattered around the lake.

 

“Unbelievable, don’t you think?” Noctis asked.

 

“I still can’t believe I’m really here. I think I’m gonna need a moment.” He answered, his voice still shaking a bit.

 

“Me neither. You wanna sit down over there?” His friend asked, pointing to the edge of the camp.

 

They made their way across the campground over to the edge and sat down. From this angle they could see the rising sun perfectly. The way it reflected in the lake gave everything an almost magical feel to it, like something out of a dream.

 

“I didn’t think that I’d ever get to see this again. The last time I was here everything was just dark and filled with daemons.” Noctis spoke after a moment of silence.

 

Prompto tilted his head to look at him. He looked just like he remembered him looking eleven years ago, all the lines in his face seemed to have vanished and his hair was back to the way it always had been since he could remember.

The purple and orange light of the sunrise lit up his whole face, which seemed to glow the same way it had during their trip. It reminded him of the sunburn his friend sometimes got due to his pale skin which gave his cheeks a permanently flushed look.

His blue eyes seemed even more lively now, reflecting in a way that reminded him of the way the sun reflected in the lake they were looking at right at this moment. He was almost scared to call them lively at this point. Scared to see them fade again.

 

“So beautiful, huh” The blond said while still looking at his friend.

 

He didn’t remember the last time when he was glad to see the sunrise. Even the first sunrise after Noctis’ death never made him feel truly happy knowing that he’d just lost the person who was most important to him, even if he sometimes didn’t want to admit it.

 

Right now, time seemed to stand still. He could feel the warmth on his cheeks and the brightness didn’t seem threatening for the first time in a long while. Right now, it felt like a new beginning, like the feeling he so desperately wanted to feel the first time the sun had risen again.

The constellations inside his mind finally seemed to align right in this moment.

 

“You know what? I think you should take some pictures while you have the chance. I still remember that time you dragged me down to the lake and forced me to pose with that huge catoblepas.” Noctis suddenly suggested, mischief in his eyes.

 

“Oh man, I thought you’d forgiven me for that! It was worth the shot though, you gotta admit.” He chuckled.

 

“How could I ever forget that? I’m pretty sure you still teased me about my screaming a week later.”

 

“It was hilarious, okay. You just ran! I’ve never seen you run that fast before!” By now, their chuckling had grown into loud laughter.

It felt so good to share these moments with his friend again because there had never been someone who understood his sense of humor quite the way Noctis did.

 

“You should’ve told Gladio and Ignis. Maybe they would’ve finally stopped trying to force me to eat vegetables.” Noctis said while pretending to be disgusted. This just made them laugh again.

 

“Alright, I’ll take some pictures but you should probably also take your rod with you. It’s probably in that box over there.” He said, pointing to the box which used to contain Noctis’ fishing supplies next to one of the chairs.

 

Noctis started to get up and offered his hand to Prompto. “As if you’d have to ask. I’d never pass up that opportunity.”

 

“Well then, what are you waiting for? Let’s go!” Prompto exclaimed, taking his hand and letting himself be pulled to his feet.

 

Both of them gathered their supplies and made their way down to the lake. The sun had fully risen by now. It was a warm day and no clouds could be seen, letting the sun shine all over the landscape before them.

 

They walked on a familiar path along the lake. Every once in a while they came across some wild animals or interesting looking spots Prompto wanted to take a picture of which caused them to walk at a rather slow pace.

 

Time was something so distant right now that they couldn’t care less.

 

“Smile!” He suddenly said, holding the camera in front of their faces. He instantly looked at the selfie he had just taken, starting to grin.

 

“Dude, what’s with your face!” He laughed and instantly saved the picture. It wasn’t a perfect photograph by any means but his friend’s shocked face looked so comical he didn’t mind the bad lightning or slight blurriness at all.

 

Noctis quickly tried to take his camera from him. “Hey, who said you could take this! Delete it!”

 

“Only if you promise to pose for another shoot with me again!” The blond exclaimed, keeping a tight grip on the camera and laughing.

 

“On second thought, keep it.” Noctis said, pretending to be terrified.

 

After their short banter they continued to walk along the lake, spotting a fishing spot in the distance that had always been one of Noctis’ favorites as far as Prompto could remember. He had to admit that he’d never really paid attention to his friend’s favorite hobby and was more interested in playing games on his phone while he was fishing.

This time though he was eager to at least try since he wanted to enjoy every moment they now had together. The dark, doubtful thoughts inside his head were still trying to make an appearance because he still didn’t fully trust this too good to be true situation but he pushed them further back, trying to keep them locked up in some dark corner inside his mind.

 

Suddenly, a voice dragged him out of his deep thoughts. “Prom? You still here?”

 

“Sure, why are you asking?” He replied after a few seconds of getting back to reality.

 

“You zoned out there for a minute”, his friend said, the look on his face slightly worried, “if anything’s wrong you can talk to me, okay?” He then added.

 

“I know, thanks, I appreciate it. But for now, let’s fish!” Prompto said, not wanting this conversation to turn negative.

 

Noctis really did care, even if he had trouble showing it sometimes and would rather remain silent if there were any problems his friends had. Prompto quickly learned that this was just a part of his character but deep inside his friend cared about everyone a lot.

 

The first time he really talked to Noctis about his life and his worries was that evening on some random motel rooftop in the middle of nowhere after a day that had left them all tired. Even Gladio caved in and agreed to get a room with real beds for once. Despite this, it had been another sleepless night for him and after a while of rolling around in his bed he decided to get some fresh air.

As he walked out, he’d seen his friend sitting on the edge of the roof, looking at the stars which had been shining so bright that night, unbothered by the bright sign of their motel.

It had taken a lot of courage to actually go up to him. The first steps he took were followed by such heaviness he was scared of not being able to lift his feet anymore. Deep inside his stomach he felt the fear of judgment. Every cell, every thought inside him made him want to turn around but something about this moment just felt right.

 

With shaking knees he sat down next to Noctis, still fighting an internal battle he wasn’t sure if he was ready to win.

 

Once he started talking, the words just seemed to flow out of him and his fears seemed to have vanished entirely, pushed back and locked up.

He’d told him about all the pressure he put on himself ever since he was young, about the fear of not being able to stay with them. About never being good enough, no matter what he did. He couldn’t help but compare himself to them every single day because what was someone like him doing here and what was a simple planet compared to the universe anyways.

 

Noctis never once interrupted him. He just stood there right by him, giving him confidence to go on along with a sense of security so unfamiliar to him up until that moment.

 

_“Think what you will but I think you’re good enough for me”_

 

That very sentence gave him more than any ‘you’ll be okay’ or ‘it’s gonna get better’ ever could. Coming from his friend who usually wasn’t that talkative when it came to topics like this it meant the world to him in that moment. Still did.

After their conversation was over, Noctis stood up and offered his hand to him, pulling him into a tight hug which seemed to go on forever but at the same time ended far too quickly. As soon as they let go, he instantly craved that same warmth again but all he got was one last reassuring pat on the shoulder, his friend’s hand lingering for a bit as if he was thinking about something.

 

He knew that they would have to talk about this… whatever _this_ was eventually but he wanted to hold onto this carefree moment a little longer.

 

By now, they’d settled down at the fishing spot he had seen before and apparently it really was his friend’s favorite place to fish, considering the smile on his face.

 

“You wouldn’t believe how much I missed this! I’m gonna catch some huge fish, just watch and learn.” Noctis said, his voice reminding Prompto of a little kid who had just gotten a present.

 

He just grinned. “I think I’m gonna stick to taking pictures and let you do the hard work.”

 

“Just as always then”, his friend said, sighing jokingly.

 

“You should be careful what you say, your laziness.”

 

* * *

 

 

They ended up being at the lake the whole day, spending their time talking or laughing about terrible jokes and puns one of them made. Sometimes they just enjoyed the silence between them, interrupted only by the soft splash of the water and the quiet noises in the distance.

 

Noctis actually did reel in in some rather large fish, which he was extremely proud of and Prompto took a lot of pictures. One of them showed his friend holding up his biggest catch of the day whilst smiling so much the corners of his eyes crinkled, radiating joy through a simple photograph.

 

By now they had made their way back to the camp, the fire still burning bright. In the distance Prompto could see the sun sink lower slowly, giving way to the oncoming sunrise.

It reminded him once more that this day couldn’t go on forever.

 

Time wasn’t as frozen as he hoped for it to be after all and he knew that it would be foolish of him to even try and cling to the hope.

 

Noctis made his way over to the middle of the camp, pushing a chair out of his way and instead sitting on the ground right in front of the fire and yawning. “What a day.”

 

“You can say that again”, Prompto added, sitting next to him. He felt the warmth of the fire on his skin, hearing the crackling sound of wood.

 

His friend seemed to struggle a bit before saying his next words. “You never told me how everyone is back home.”

 

It pained Prompto to hear him say this. Something about the words _back home_ made his heart seem to freeze in his chest. Home wasn’t the same thing it once had been anymore. Not without all of them together. Noctis shouldn’t have to be asking this. It was always supposed to be his home too, not just a memory.

 

He’d tried to avoid this inevitable conversation for so long but just as this day, everything had to come to an end.

 

“Uhm… pretty good, given the circumstances. We have a rather large team that is busy with rebuilding Insomnia and they’re doing a great job. Some of it actually almost looks like it did before… everything.” He said, looking down at his lap and clenching his fists. “Ignis currently lives in Lestallum and he still cooks all the time. He’s actually taught a lot of refugees who didn’t know how to do it before and seems like he’s enjoying doing it. It’s honestly great to see. Gladio is also on the reconstruction team in Insomnia or more like leading it most of the time.” He added, chuckling a bit at the last part.

 

“That’s so typical. I’m glad they’re all well. But what about you? How have you been?” His friend asked.

This was it. He had to talk about himself now but how could he tell Noctis that he’d been nothing but miserable ever since his death? How was he supposed to confess that each morning, each sunrise was a struggle to live through?

 

He took a deep breath, staring into the flames of the fire in front of them. “Oh I’m alright. I’m visiting Ignis at the moment and otherwise I’m also rebuilding with…”

 

“No, that’s not what I meant”, Noctis suddenly interrupted him, “look at me please”.

 

Slowly, he raised his head, staring right into his friend’s concerned eyes. They seemed to look right through him, able to read him like an open book.

 

“I can see that you’re not alright, you’re far from it but you’d rather hide it than talk to anyone. Do you remember what I told you last time we were talking?” He then said while still looking right at Prompto.

 

He didn’t have to ask what time he meant when he was talking about ‘the last time’. Realization struck him that Noctis still, after all these years, remembered that conversation on top of the hotel. He had so much to worry about, the whole world was placed on his shoulders but still he remembered.

 

“That I can talk to you. That I’m not bothering you with my stupid problems.” He quietly answered, amazed that Noctis could even hear him.

 

He heard him sigh. “Your problems are never stupid. I care about you so that’s why I want you to tell me if you feel comfortable with it.”

 

The blond stared back into the fire, focusing on the colors of the flames instead of his friend’s eyes that seemed too deep for him right now, threatening to pull him in like a tidal wave and not letting go.

 

In that moment, drowning didn’t seem scary at all.

 

“It’s… not easy without you.” He stopped for a few seconds, gathering the courage to continue but at the same time feeling tears welling up in his eyes. “I’d be lying if I said it was. I try but it’s just… everything is hard, you know? Something’s not right and I feel it every day. You did so much for everyone and we could never thank you enough for giving us all another chance to live and for giving us back the light. That’s why I feel so incredibly ungrateful whenever I catch myself feeling sad instead of happy like everyone else whenever I see daylight. You deserve so much more.”

 

For a long time, Noctis didn’t say anything. Prompto could still feel his eyes on him and they felt like small daggers piercing into his side.

 

“It’s not me who deserves so much more, Prom.”

 

Prompto slowly turned his head to look at his friend again. He didn’t know what to answer, wouldn’t allow himself to see things that weren’t really there. His voice seemed caught in his throat.

 

Noctis seemed to know that words would never speak out what he really wanted to say and instead carefully wrapped his arms around Prompto, pulling him into a close hug.

He immediately clutched at Noctis’ shirt, burying his head into his chest, letting himself be held if only for a moment. His body was shaking with sobs and he just tried to hold onto his friend, his rock, tighter whilst letting the tears spill.

 

Short breaths escaped him as his friend held him in silence, rubbing a hand over his back whilst burying the other one in blond hair, gently running his fingers through it and holding his head to his chest. Gradually, Prompto tried to catch his breath again until the short, uneven breaths eased into gentle sobs.

 

A quavering voice broke the small sobs. “I miss you, Noct.” He said, struggling to form the words. Saying them gave him the same feeling he still remembered from back when they’d been in Zegnautus Keep and he admitted his long-kept secret to them. Something he wasn’t meant to say, something he would be better off if he locked it into some dark box inside his mind, throwing away the key.

 

But no matter how hard he tried to hide inside his own mind, Noctis always seemed to be right there by his side.

 

He tried to sink back into his friend’s chest again but Noctis carefully prompted him to lift his head. Their eyes locked and time seemed to stand still. In those blue eyes he recognized the flames he’d been staring into just to flee from actually having to face him, afraid of baring his soul and his feelings along with it. He didn’t know what he was searching for but inside his gaze he found the same familiarity that had always been there, accompanied by something incredibly alive.

 

Noctis began to wipe the tears underneath his eyes away carefully, only leaving small trails on his cheeks behind. One of his hands was still at the back of his head, entangled into short hair, holding him close while the blond looked up at him. He then cupped his cheek softly with his other hand, giving Prompto the opportunity to lean into the touch, which he did.

 

Prompto realized right then and there how close they actually were.

 

They were still sat in front of the fire, close enough that they could feel the warmth and their faces were lit up by the soft glow of the flames.

Noctis was leaned slightly over his friend, the position making his face appear darker yet his eyes spoke volumes. The other had one hand on the ground to stabilize himself and the other one loosely placed on his shoulder back from when he was buried in his chest. He could still feel the barely noticeable wet patches on his shirt underneath his hand, remainders of the tears he’d cried just seconds ago. The distance between them was non-existent save from the small gap that separated their faces.

 

Both of them seemed bothered by this distance. It was too cold, too much space between them. After all this time, all they truly wanted and needed was closure, to be held by one another. A silent conversation seemed to take part between them and there wasn’t any need for words where actions were able to speak so much louder.

 

Bit by bit, Noctis began to close the distance between them and it seemed like time was frozen for a few seconds. Slowly and timidly, their lips touched but only for a fragment of a second and before Prompto even had the chance to realize what was happening the other one pulled back as if he wasn’t holding Prompto but pure fire in his arms.

 

“I shouldn’t have done that, I’m so sorry I should’ve asked you! Gods, I’m so sorry…” He stammered, his voice too loud for this quiet moment. Before he could finish his hurried apology, Prompto interrupted him.

 

“It’s okay. Come here.”

 

The blond then proceeded to pull him closer by his shoulder, looking down to gather courage before he closed the distance between them yet again, not daring to look at Noctis’ face because he was scared to see regret in his expression.

At first, hesitance dominated their kiss, neither of them really knowing what to do, where to touch and how to move in order not to scare the other person away.

 

It didn’t take long for the shyness to almost completely melt away, being replaced by something else, a feeling that led them to hold on tighter to each other and press against the other person even more.

At this point, Prompto was sure that his worries were completely unnecessary. His fingers were digging into Noctis’ shoulders uncomfortably but he couldn’t seem to let go. He was scared that as soon as he would ease his grasp even the tiniest bit, everything would just vanish and this whole moment would end up being nothing more than another photograph inside his camera, reminding him of things that once almost were but never got the chance to really be.

 

Right here, right know, he felt more alive than he ever had the past years.

 

The hand that had been cupping his cheek until a few moments ago began to slide down his shoulder and came to rest against his waist, holding onto it. He felt the heat of it through his thin top and it made a shiver run down his back. He suspected that his friend must’ve felt his reaction as well because he could feel him smiling against his lips which made him smile in return. As a result, the kiss broke for a short while, both of them chuckling lightly before diving back into it.

 

The heat seemed overwhelming and even the cool night air couldn’t bring any relief. Prompto could gladly do without this relief though as long as he was able to feel his friend pressed up against him.

 

As time went on, their kiss turned more heated, the quiet atmosphere of the night replaced by their soft panting. Suddenly, the blond gasped and opened his mouth slightly, which his friend took as an invite to deepen the kiss even further, making them both feel dizzy with the buzz of electricity between them in all the places they were touching.

 

Cautiously, Noctis began to lower Prompto to the ground, straddling him as soon as he was laying down. His legs were at either side of him, resting against his hips. The blond finally felt safe enough to loosen the grip on his friends shoulder, instead placing one of his hands at his waist whilst burying the other one in jet-black hair. He ran his fingers through it, pulling lightly at the shorter hair at the back of his neck, which seemed to spur his friend on more.

 

Noctis moved away from Prompto’s lips, giving him one last smirk before beginning to cover his neck with small kisses that eventually turned into light sucking. After a short while he seemed to have found a spot he favored and began to bite down gently. The blond couldn’t repress the helpless moans that escaped him and he just tangled his hand into dark strands of hair, the soft pulling from before now having turned a bit more reckless.

 

The stars he stared up seemed to swim in the sky, brightening up everything in a way that made him feel safe for the first time in eleven years.

 

Noctis didn’t seem to mind. Quite the contrary seemed to be the case as his gentle bites from before were now replaced by sucking again, which wasn’t nearly as gentle as it had been.

Prompto panted louder now as his friend licked over the spot before tilting his head up to him, beginning to coax his mouth open again, all heat and fire where there once had been hesitance and shyness. He felt him bite and pull at his bottom lip. The electricity seemed to be back, the sensation buzzing all around them, making the air feel like a never-ending lightning storm. It reminded him of the Noct’s potions he’d seen all the time during their road trip, fascinating yet lethal all at once.

 

Suddenly he felt a thigh being placed between his legs rubbing up against him mercilessly, making his abdomen seem to burst from the feverish heat inside of it. He opened his eyes wide, overwhelmed by the sensation that had overcome him just in time too se his friend lowering himself onto his elbows, fueling the heat between them even more. He didn’t have a lot of experience with what they were doing right now but he was being led by the feeling of bliss surrounding his entire being.

 

Carefully, he lifted the leg that was now between his friends’ thigh up a little, building up the pressure between them. He heard soft pants and whines against his ear, ever so often followed by quiet cursing to which he could only answer with gasps, now louder than before.

 

This wasn’t enough. The blond needed more. _Closer, closer, closer…_

 

He ran his hands down over Noctis’ hair, down his neck and his shoulders, caressing his waist and hips, trying to tell him everything he wasn’t able to put into words other than pants and moans through touches. His friend seemed to understand because he began to run a hand down underneath the blonds shirt, gently roaming it over his chest, scratching him lightly with his nails while still holding his thigh up against him, right at the place the heat was most intense at.

 

Prompto didn’t know how he was still able to take this, take in all these feelings he had never felt before. He no longer tried to stop the noises escaping him, he couldn’t even if he tried if he was being honest.

The hand that had been underneath his shirt continued to venture down his body until it stopped at the top of his jeans, teasing the waistband around it, fingertips slipping underneath it slowly. He whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut and bucking his hips up against the source of the heat atop of him.

 

“Is this okay?” His friend asked, slight hesitance accompanying his voice which was completely breathless.

 

“Don’t stop.” He replied while looking right into Noctis’ stormy eyes. Where there once had been the familiar shade of blue, there was now pure darkness, wicked yet absolutely exhilarating.

 

He didn’t know how much time had passed. It could’ve been minutes, it could’ve been hours before electricity like he had never felt it ran through his veins, sending buzzing waves down to his fingertips, leaving him trying to catch his breath, grabbing onto every inch of bare skin on top of him. The only thing he remembered was crying out in ecstasy, raking his nails down Noct’s back whilst the other one’s heat seemed to fall all around him.

 

A thin sheen of sweat covered both of their entangled bodies as exhaustion overcame them, both being pulled into a deep sleep.

 

_“I can’t believe you’re here with me.”_

_“I promised I’d always be at your side, remember?”_

_“I think… I love you. I really do.”_

_“I never stopped.”_

The last thing Prompto felt was a warm hand caressing his cheek softly.

 

* * *

 

 

The red digits of his alarm clock blinded him as soon as he opened his eyes. 4:16am.

 

Prompto found himself inside his room in Lestallum, laying in bed, still not having caught his breath entirely. The warmth that had been wrapped around him until seemingly a second ago was gone.

 

He could compare the feeling that hit him in this moment to the bitter coldness he experienced near Gralea once, making him feel paralyzed, seemingly unable to move a single muscle.

 

He should’ve known it. It had all been a dream, another illusion, another could-have-been, another what if, another maybe. It wasn’t real. Noctis would never be more than a memory inside his mind, a ghost following his every step, lurking in the dark in every of his sleepless nights.

 

All he got was some more borrowed time. How foolish of him to dream something like this.

 

Restlessness overtook him and it made him get up immediately, as if his own bed had burned him just like the flames he’d sat in front of a few minutes… a dream ago.

 

He began to pace around the entire room, burying his head in his hands and roaming them over his hair roughly. Not anything like the gentle fingers he remembered.

The pacing continued until his own reflection in the mirror on the wall caught his eye.

 

There on his neck right underneath his jaw was a dark reddish-purple bruise he would recognize anywhere.

 

“What the hell?” He exclaimed loudly, confusion and desperation clouding his thoughts alike, making hope flutter in his chest, threatening to drown again as soon as it surfaced.

He began to touch the bruise and sure enough it sent light pain through his body as he pressed down with more force onto it.

 

There was no way he could have done this in his sleep. He would’ve had to hit himself quite severely and even if he somehow managed to do that without waking up in pain the bruise wouldn’t already be red by now. This wasn’t a bruise achieved by hitting someone, that he was certain of. He knew what a hickey looked like when he saw it.

 

Whilst looking in the mirror the camera on his bedside table caught his attention. He didn’t usually place it there anymore. He’d rather store it somewhere he wouldn’t have to see it as often since all those pictures it contained were still difficult for him to bear. Somehow it must’ve been placed here but he just wasn’t able to remember how.

He decided to pick it up, just to see if there was anything wrong or different about it.

 

Sure enough, there appeared to be more pictures on it.

 

Prompto immediately recognized them. There they were, all the pictures he took… yesterday? In his dream? He didn’t know but he wasn’t imagining this, that he was sure of. Scrolling through them, he came across a picture of Noctis making a silly face, the light casting across his face. It was the one he wanted Prompto to delete but right now he was so glad he didn’t. The next photograph was of the large fish Noctis caught with his friend holding it up whilst laughing at the camera.

 

The longer he scrolled through them, the more the anxiety inside him grew, mixing together with the feeling of disorientation.

 

All the feelings that mixed together in his very core made him nauseous and unable to stand up any longer. He sank to his knees in front of the mirror, tears blurring his sight and beginning to flow down his cheeks relentlessly. Oh how he wished Noctis could hold him now and tell him everything was going to be alright.

How he wished being able to promise him that he was going to be ever at his side one more time. Having the chance to finally give his friend a sense of security back, to erase his doubts like Noctis had always done for him.

 

He lifted his head and picked the camera up again, his hands trembling. He had to see it one last time. Had to reassure himself of the fact that it had been real, that maybe Noctis wasn’t gone. That all the warmth and all the touches weren’t just his mind playing tricks on him. He’d come back.

 

The slowly rising light of dawn began to filter inside his room while he was trying to stop his hands from shaking.

 

Outside, he heard barking.

 

* * *

 

 

 

_Oh, grant that I can stay the night_

_Or one more day inside this life_

**Author's Note:**

> I'd really appreciate some feedback on this :)


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